Democratic National Committee Remarks at a Special Meeting of the Committee

Chairman John White and Chairman Ken Curtis, Chairman Bob Strauss— [laughter] —distinguished members and officers of the Democratic National Committee and friends:

It's really great to come over here and to have such a good reception. I think it was a surprise to John White. He had asked me specifically to come after he was elected. [Laughter] When you get more applause than Bob Strauss, it makes you feel very good. [Laughter]

I want to be brief this morning, but to tell you a few things that are important to me and, I think, to you. In the first place, I want to express my admiration and my appreciation to Ken Curtis for having done such a superb job this past year.

Shortly after I was elected Governor, and before I was inaugurated, I had an opportunity to meet Ken Curtis and Polly and Angel, and there was an instant rapport between us and an instant admiration on our part for him. He was one of the senior Governors also, a young man. And he gave me sound advice, and we formed a partnership then and a friendship that has been staunch.

When I was elected President, I particularly wanted Ken Curtis to come and take on this job. I have to tell you in complete confidence that he did it as a favor to me. He did not want to leave Maine. He wanted to stay there and not move to what he considers the Deep South of Washington. [Laughter] But I told him that we needed him. And Bob Strauss had laid a good groundwork, leading up to a superb choice by the American people last November, a year agog [laughter] and I told him that we needed to consolidate what had been done and to bridge the gap between a Democratic National Committee with a Republican in the White House, with the quite different circumstance of a Democratic National Committee with a Democrat in the White House.

We were still saddled with an unfortunate debt left over from 1968 which had been $9 1/2 million, approximately, and which had been cut down a little more than half. And Ken Curtis has, I think, brought the Democratic Party together. He's kept an open door; he's given everybody a chance to speak. He's given me great support, along with your help. He's cut that debt half again, and I think it's down to manageable terms now. And I'm deeply grateful to him.

Ken Curtis told me last October that he wanted to go back to Maine, and with some surprise and regret I told him that I would certainly accede to his wishes. He leaves here with his head high and with the Democratic Party proud of what he's done.

We've now been fortunate in bringing to our committee, with your help, a new chairman who has a different background, different experience, but who can continue the tremendous growth and influence of the Democratic Party through your leadership.

John White is a man who is known in Texas as Mr. Democrat. He supported John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson; before that, Adlai Stevenson. He headed up George McGovern's campaign. He supported Hubert Humphrey. He supported Lloyd Bentsen and— [laughter] —and successfully supported Jimmy Carter in 1976. [Laughter]

He has, I think, the complete integrity and the knowledge of politics that comes from a man who is idealistic, liberal to moderate in the finest sense of those words, who's not afraid to tackle the difficult political challenge when called upon to do so by his duty, and his belief in the purposes and principles of the Democratic Party, and who has proved his own attraction among the Texas people, I think, 13 times when he was reelected to serve as commissioner of agriculture. And I think next November he's going to take a lot of freshmen and sophomore Democratic Members of Congress and help them to start on an equally long career of at least 13 terms, and we're going to all work together for that purpose.

He's also well trained to fit into the environment of a Democratic National Committee. I was particularly convinced of that a week or two ago when I saw a photograph in the Washington Post- [laughter] —where his office had been filled with farmers, he was hanging on the windowsill by his fingernails— [laughter] and still trying to convince them that the Department of Agriculture, the President, that Congress were concerned about farm problems. So, I think he'll fit in well over here at the DNC headquarters. [Laughter] And I think he can handle the disparate groups that make up the Democratic Party's strength. I'm grateful, John, that you're here.

I would like to say a word about the titular head of the Democratic Party, and that's myself. I came to Washington for the first time just about a year ago. And we had a massive program to propose, campaign commitments to honor, a Congress for me to learn about, and a quizzical American public about a newcomer to national politics whom they really didn't know.

I had to do hundreds of hours of personal study about the history and present circumstances concerning the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Panama, SALT, comprehensive test bans, domestic programs. And I have to admit to you that in many instances, I put those responsibilities ahead of my responsibilities to the Democratic National Committee. I don't think you've had the support that was needed from the White House. But I don't have to restudy those issues. I've become fairly well educated, and now I can keep up with changing circumstances. This year, there will be a much closer allegiance and alliance from the White House toward the Democratic National Committee and I—[inaudible].

I was elected with your help to lead this country. I feel at ease with the job of President, primarily because I don't feel alone. I have a partnership with you because we are bound together with a common purpose and common beliefs, a common history as Democrats, to let politics and government be used to deal with human needs, not to disappoint those who trust us, not to be timid when severe challenges arise, not to apologize when we inherit longstanding problems that are not easy to solve. And I look forward to this year, working with you with a great deal of anticipation, determination, and confidence.

In the political world and, I think, particularly here in Washington, there is an excessive and predictable and understandable emphasis on the disharmonies, on the arguments and contentions and strong debates. There's an emphasis on failure in minor points, even though the general effort may have been successful.

But what we need to maintain is another characteristic of Democrats, and that is optimism about the future, pride in what our Nation is, and the determination to make it even better. We live in the greatest nation on Earth. Economically we are strong; militarily, strong; politically, strong; morally, strong; admired, not feared in the rest of the world.

I think we have the trust of the American people. It's incumbent on me every minute of every day never to betray that trust. It's important for me not to let a wall be built between me and the rest of the country and to capitalize not only on my personal encounters with American people over the 2 years of campaigning but also, through you, to be constantly aware of new developments and new concerns and new hopes and new dreams of those who look to you for leadership and who recognize that you have a direct access to me through your responsibilities as leaders of our party.

That partnership is crucial in determining whether or not my own administration in the White House is successful. There are times when you can bridge the gap perhaps between myself and the Congress, because no matter how hard I try from the perspective of opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, a good Member of Congress is much more concerned about and amenable to expressions of belief and importunities from his own constituents. And that's where, again, you are there, and ,you can help to identify problems and to remove those problems before they become critical or damaging to a successful Democratic administration that encompasses both Congress and the White House.

I've got an excellent Cabinet. There's not a single person who serves with me at the Cabinet level about whom I have any concern or whom I would want to change. I would like to go out of office at the end of 4 years with the same Cabinet that I have now. They .are very strong, very good people. And I think that they deserve your confidence and your support, and also they deserve to know from you when you have a concern about their administration.

I don't run the Federal Government through White House aides. They are all very close to me and they are close to the Cabinet members. So, if there's a problem in health or welfare, I would like for you to go directly to Joe Califano and let him get to know you and let you get to know him. If there's a problem with the cities, go to Juanita Kreps and go to Pat Harris, deal with the Cabinet members directly.

We have a major responsibility this year in the Governors' elections, in the elections for the Members of Congress and the Senate to be successful. And I believe that we can prove to the rest of the Nation that we have an administration that can serve the needs of our people.

There are some severe challenges that presently face us, with which I need your help. There will be an early bringing to the floor of the Panama Canal treaties. A year ago the support for these treaties in the Congress or among the people was minimal, if it existed at all. But the good negotiating results have given us a base of truth and substance which has permitted us to convince the American people and the Members of the Senate that the treaties are in our best interests.

We've got an energy question that must be resolved. It's kind of a cancer that prevents further progress and further confidence in domestic and international economics. And the uncertainty about the future related to energy is something that we must overcome. You can help me with that. We've got an economic program, tax reduction, tax reform, a good solid budget, a concern about our cities, agriculture, with which I need your help. I think our program is well-considered, well-presented, and is sound. And there is a partnership here in which you enjoy full participation.

The last thing I would like to say is this: I don't want you to consider your service on the Democratic National Committee to be a spasmodic responsibility. I would like for you to consider it to be a daily responsibility. Don't just wait until a meeting is called here before you exercise the leadership that's been given to you. You're equally responsible with me to make sure that the Democratic Party never betrays the trust that has been placed in us.

I'd like to see Democrats in the White House for a long time to come. And if you work closely with me, I think that's [inaudible].

Thank you very much.